Chasing Dreams (Devil's Bend) (9 page)

Damn,
but he wanted to.

His
dick stirred, making his jeans damned uncomfortable as he thought about his
hand on Tessa’s ass. In his mind, she was naked, the sweet, rounded curves of
her ass filling his hands as she rode him fast and hard.
Shit.

“You
plan on staying here all night?” Tessa questioned, pulling him from his
thoughts at the perfect moment. If he had let his imagination wander any
further, she’d be laid out on the bar top, stark naked while he...

This
was
so
not helping.

“I
didn’t realize you were ready to go,” he told her, trying to stall while he got
his body under control.

“There’s
nothing left to do here.”

Well,
Cooper would have to disagree with that.

“Hey,
come here,” he told her as he stood.

Without
waiting for her, he moved to the sound system that was hidden in a panel on one
end of the bar. He ran through the menu of songs until he found the playlist he
was looking for and then hit play.

Moving
back to Tessa, he took her hand and pulled her out onto the dance floor. She
was smiling up at him, and the carefree look on her face was so rare, it stole
his breath.

Pulling
her in close, Cooper removed her hat, placing it on the edge of the stage
before sliding one hand in hers, the other around her waist. With their bodies
aligned so intimately, he had to look down to see her, but even with their
height difference, they fit together like puzzle pieces. He prayed she didn’t
feel the effect she had on him, but he couldn’t very well help it. They had
been doing this figurative dance for more than two weeks now and honestly,
Cooper was looking forward to getting his hands on her again. Even innocently.

Although
his hands weren’t thinking anything innocent at the moment.

“Are
you trying to tell me something, Krenshaw?”

“Me?
I don’t have any idea what you’re talkin’ about,” he replied, smiling. Cooper
knew she was referring to the song, and yes, he could never go wrong with
Conway Twitty.

“You
think you’re sly, don’t you?”

Sly
or not, Cooper didn’t want to move from where he was. They danced slowly around
the floor, two stepping although their feet barely moved. This was as close as
they’d been since the night that he kissed her, and the feel of her soft,
smooth fingers entwined with his, the crush of her breasts against his torso,
were exactly how he remembered. Better even.

While
the song referred to laying her down, Cooper was perfectly content with being
upright. Hell, he wasn’t particular about how they went about it, he just
wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep going another minute without kissing her. When
the next song he had selected queued, Cooper knew his control would be shot in
less than thirty seconds.

“Let
me guess? You and Jason Aldean are friends?” Tessa asked as she stared up at
the man whose arm was wrapped around her back, the heat of his hand scorching
her skin even through her shirt.

“And
what if we are?” he smirked.

They
were so close, not even a breath would fit between them, yet Tessa’s body was
screaming for more. Not that she would ask. It wasn’t what good girls did and
quite frankly, Tessa was bound and determined to be a good girl. She’d spent
the majority of her life being just the opposite. And for some reason, with
Cooper, she didn’t want him to know that side of her. Despite her better
judgment, she didn’t want to send him running. She had a feeling he’d be
deciding to do that on his own before too long.

The
way his intense brown eyes watched her, made her mouth go dry. When she used
her tongue to moisten her bottom lip, she felt his body tense and suddenly,
Tessa prayed he’d get the hint. If he didn’t kiss her soon, she was almost
certain her body would spontaneously combust.

He
picked an incredibly fitting song and suddenly not talking anymore sounded like
an extremely good plan to her too. When Cooper leaned closer, pressing his lips
to hers, Tessa held her breath while praying he would lose the perfect gentleman
act for at least a few minutes. She wanted this man to sweep her off of her
feet.

Seconds
later, that’s exactly what he did.

Suddenly
they weren’t moving anymore. They were both rooted in place, their hands had
taken up the part of their feet as they touched and tasted as though they’d
been waiting for this day.

She
had.

Tessa
lost her ability to think when Cooper’s tongue slid into her mouth, his taste
sending her body into hyperspace as she wrapped her arms around his neck,
looping her fingers into the soft, silky hair at the nape of his neck, just
beneath his cowboy hat. When Cooper pulled her even closer, his hips subtly
grinding into hers, she moaned.

“Lord,
woman, if you keep doing that, I’m going to forget how to be a gentleman,”
Cooper said breathlessly.

Tessa
stared back at him. At this point, she didn’t give a damn what they did, but if
he didn’t put his mouth back on hers, she might just scream. “You talk too
much.”

That
mischievous, crooked grin sent tingles racing through her bloodstream, taking
brief breaks along the way to explode in her belly and then linger between her
legs.

“Well,
you don’t have to tell me twice.”

Tessa
squealed when Cooper lifted her off of her feet, forcing her to wrap her legs
around his waist, the evidence of his arousal pressing intimately between her
thighs and causing her to groan seconds before his mouth was once again on
hers. This time, Tessa knocked his hat from his head and held him in place, not
allowing him to get away from her until she got her fill. Based on the way he
kissed, she wasn’t sure if she’d ever get enough.

Her
back hit the solid wall, and yet she still didn’t allow him to get away. She
couldn’t stop, couldn’t let go because she wanted more of him. Her body had a
mind of its own, and she was grinding herself against his erection, his groans
matching hers as he pressed her firmly against the wall, his hands bracketing
her ass as he held her in place.

“Do
you have any idea what you do to me?” he asked when they both came up for air a
few minutes later. “What you’ve done to me since the very first time I laid
eyes on you?”

“I’ve
got some idea,” she whispered, her eyes darting from his lips to his eyes and
then back again. Tessa watched his mouth, her brain on a single track with one
destination in mind, and she feared that, if she allowed him to keep talking,
they weren’t going to get there.

Cooper’s
mouth returned, but this time he sent sparks of fire trailing down her neck in
the path of his lips as he kissed and sucked her skin, making her damn near
come apart at the seams.

The
intelligent part of her brain told her that she shouldn’t be doing this, but
the other part, the part ruled by her hormones, told her not to care. She’d
spent too long waiting for him to kiss her again. She had gone without for even
longer and just having his hands on her would probably be enough.

“Darlin’,
as much as I don’t want this to stop, I fear if we don’t, you won’t like me all
that much in the mornin’.” Cooper’s words were a breath against her ear.

“I
don’t care about liking you. As long as you keep doing that,” Tessa groaned,
her head falling back so he could have better access to her neck.

“See,
that’s where we differ,” he said with a chuckle between kisses. “I’m very
interested in you liking me.”

Cooper’s
lips were close to her ear once again, and a shiver raced down her spine. Tessa
wasn’t sure she was going to survive this. She wasn’t a virgin by any means,
but never in her life had a man’s voice appealed to her so much. Not to mention
his hands on her.

“Well,
I can assure you that I like what you’re doing,” Tessa whispered back to him,
turning her head so she could bite his earlobe with her teeth. The guttural
growl that rose up from his chest had moisture pooling between her legs.

“That’s
a start. I plan to do so many more things to you that I want you to like.”

Tessa
could hear the “but” in his tone. He was going to stop, and she so didn’t want
him to. She didn’t even want to think about what that said about her.

“I’d
just prefer we had a place that was a little less… public. One where I could
take my time because I want to run my tongue over every inch of your body.”

Oh,
God yes!
Tessa’s body tightened at his words. If he actually said something dirty to
her, she couldn’t promise that she wouldn’t have a mind blowing orgasm right
there, fully dressed.

“And?”
Her question was meant to spur him on.

“And
what?” Cooper pulled back, and she could once again see his mischievous grin.
“Tell me what you want me to do to you, Tessa.”

Oh
how the tables had turned and absolutely not in her favor. Tessa didn’t have a
problem telling him exactly what she wanted, but she knew from experience that
could very well backfire in her face and she wasn’t looking to be the talk of
the town over the way she had let loose with a guy.

He
must have realized she wasn’t going to answer him because Cooper’s mouth once
again pressed against hers, his tongue lightly tracing her bottom lip as she
moaned in pleasure.

“When
I get you somewhere private,” he began, trailing that exquisite mouth across
her jaw, “I’m going to tell you all the things I plan to do to you. As I do
them.”

Holy
hell.
Tessa wanted to take him back to her place. One night of sexual bliss was all
she needed to cure the dry spell, and she would have Cooper Krenshaw out of her
system.

“But,
not tonight.” Cooper pulled back, looking into her eyes, and that glimmer of
passion said he knew what she had been thinking.

Tessa
groaned half-heartedly. She was grateful that the man seemed to have some sort
of restraint because she was quickly learning that, with him, she had none.

∞
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Cooper
wasn’t sure how much more of her he could handle before he was reduced to a
horny teenage boy who couldn’t control himself.

He
was holding Tessa in his arms, her body pressed against his, her legs wrapped
around his waist and even through his jeans, he could feel the heat of her sex
against his aching cock.

As
much as he wanted her, he wasn’t willing to give up one night of what would
probably be the most mind-blowing sex of his entire life if that meant she
would walk away from him indefinitely. No, Cooper had more in mind when it came
to this woman. He wanted so much more than one night. Hell, he wasn’t sure
thirty nights would be enough, but he was willing to try.

Letting
her slide down to her feet, Cooper kept her pressed between himself and the
wall, keeping his hands planted firmly on the sweet, rounded curves of her ass.
Lord, the woman had the most amazing ass.

“Tuesday
night I’m going to pick you up at your house. I’m going to take you out like I
planned. And then…” He freed one hand so he could tilt her chin up to meet his
gaze before he continued, “And then, if you still want to see where this leads,
it’ll be your call. Until then, you’ll just have to resist.”

Her
tempting smirk and simple nod didn’t tell him anything, but he knew she would
be thankful in the morning. Hell, his dick wasn’t all that happy with him, but
Cooper had learned a long time ago to stop thinking with his dick.

“You
ready?” After reaching down and retrieving his hat, he twined his fingers with
hers as he took a step back, keeping his eyes pinned on her. She was the
sexiest woman he’d ever laid eyes on and with her hair tousled, her lips
swollen from his kisses, Cooper wasn’t sure he would be able to walk away when
they made it to her truck.

She
nodded again as she grabbed her hat off of the stage, still not saying a word,
but he didn’t push her. Instead, he held her hand firmly in his and led her to
the back door, then waited for her to lock up. Once they reached her truck, he
stopped her before she opened the door. Backing her up against the cool metal,
Cooper once again pressed his mouth to hers, but this time he didn’t go for
gentle. He wanted to make sure she understood how much he wanted her.

When
her arms came up around his neck once again, he couldn’t resist pushing his
hips against hers as he claimed her mouth. His blood had turned to lava in his
veins, and he was so hot, he wouldn’t be surprised if his skin didn’t start to
melt, but it was a risk he was willing to take. Her kiss was so much more than
he anticipated, and the hungry way she delved her tongue into his mouth told
Cooper that there was a wildcat beneath that cool, reserved exterior. He had
sensed it earlier, but he also detected the way she had held back from him.

If
he had anything to say about it, she wouldn’t be able to hold back. Cooper
wasn’t a gentle lover, and with Tessa, he was beginning to wonder whether he’d
met his match.

When
they both came up for air – something they seemed to do a lot – Cooper cupped
her face with his hands, holding her so that she couldn’t look away. “I doubt
I’ll be able to sleep tonight.”

“No
one said you had to,” she retorted, sounding somewhat frustrated.

“Trust
me, darlin’. I want you more than you’ll ever know, but I’m not looking for one
night. If I was, I’d have buried my cock in your pussy right there against the
wall in your bar.” Cooper let the harsh words escape, wanting her to understand
that the need was just as great for him as it was for her.

He
was a gentleman when he was supposed to be, but when it came to Tessa and him
behind closed doors, he wasn’t going to promise her soft music and candlelight
all the time. He wanted everything she could give him and in no way was he just
referring to sex.

The
shiver that made her hands tremble told him that his coarse tone didn’t bother
her. In fact, if he had to guess, she very much liked it.

“I’ll
see you tomorrow. Get some sleep.” He pressed his lips lightly against hers
again. “You’re going to need it.”